It is well known that many people are required to use body waste bags after undergoing colostomy, ileostomy, or other similar surgery on their intestinal or urinary tract. It is also well known that such body waste bags must be periodically evacuated and sanitized. For simplicity of understanding, the term "ostomy bag" is hereinafter used to indicate any type of body waste bag, including but not limited to, colostomy bags, ileostomy bags, and the like.
Typically, the process involves evacuating the ostomy bag into a toilet or sink using the pressure of the tap water or pressure created by elevating a volume of water above the ostomy bag. The water from either of these sources is introduced into the ostomy bag and is used to loosen waste from the bag and finally as a medium for carrying the waste out of the bag. One such method is described in detail in The First Step: guidelines on care and recovery following colostomy surgery, Kay Marshall, Hospital Educators Resource Catalogue, Inc., Lincoln, Neb., 1989, at pages 15-17. Other devices have been produced to aid in the evacuation and cleaning of ostomy bags, such as those disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,642,106 W. Downey Feb 10, 1987 5,037,408 J. S. Henry Aug 6, 1991 5,096,503 S. E. Wellman Mar 17, 1992 ______________________________________
The method discussed by Marshall in The First Step provides for the use of an elevated water source to generate pressure for the introduction of water. The patient is seated on a commode while the water is introduced into the ostomy bag and the body waste is evacuated.
Downey ('106) discloses a device for evacuating the contents of an ostomy pouch wherein a pair of elongated members are spaced apart a small distance, the ostomy bag being inserted between the elongated members and then pulled through. As the ostomy bag is pulled between the elongated members, the contents are forced out.
The device taught by Henry ('408) is simply a tool designed to be secured to an ostomy bag proximate the stoma opening such that the ostomy bag may be manipulated within a toilet in order to facilitate the evacuate of the contents from within the ostomy bag. This particular device requires that one place his hands within the toilet with the distinct possibility of contaminating them.
Finally, in the device taught by Wellman ('503), an attachment device is provided for securing a hose to a water faucet associated with a sink. A terminal end of the hose is inserted within an ostomy bag such that the running water serves to dislodge any waste from the interior of the bag. However, this device requires that the ostomy bag be cleaned within a sink. Obviously, this creates unsanitary conditions with respect to the use of the particular sink.
A well known problem with evacuating and cleaning an ostomy bag presents itself when the patient is away from home. Using public rest rooms is often unsanitary or impossible if the required facilities are not available. It is also often undesirable to clean an ostomy bag using the facilities in another's dwelling for fear of creating an unsanitary environment.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that may be used at or away from home to assist in the evacuation and sanitation of a colostomy bag.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means whereby waste and wasted water are stored in a sanitary container for future disposal.